Sure, its a beautiful home when you drive up.  But… wow… when you walk into the living room this home is stunning.  And, that is the result of a beautiful partnership between client and the by Design designer.  Here’s how Carol and Steve described the process:

We knew we wanted a sectional, but we were having difficulty finding a store that seemed to offer what we were looking for.  We visited with Kassie and she really listened to us.  She tried to understand our needs and asked about or interests and our activities.

When Kassie had some idea of what we wanted, she offered to come out to really see the space and get accurate measurements.  Afterwards she worked on the plan, communicated with us frequently and was constantly emailing us with ideas.  She’s a good listener (she worked within our budget) with a terrific sense of humor.

We definitely got our WOW factor!  Its exactly what we were going for! — Carol

That is an understatement… — Steve

Click on any of the images below to expand, then page through them:

We can’t resist sharing Carol and Steve’s email verbatim:

“We absolutely love our living room!!!!!  Thank you so much for making our living room beautiful–and completely different from what we had before.  This is just the look we were hoping for–thank you for listening to our preferences, likes and dislikes, and then finding the absolute most gorgeous pieces of furniture for us!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
Carol & Steve!”

Shucks.  Frankly, we’re so grateful to have the opportunity to work with Carol and Steve.  Experiences like this are what we live for.  People like this make it all worthwhile.

Carol & Steve

Laura recently contributed to a feature in dsm Magazine

“Freshening up a home’s look is no problem for those with a hefty decorating budget. But top designers know that a lot of small, relatively inexpensive changes can transform a tired, dated space into an attractive and inviting environment that renews your enthusiasm for your home.”

here’s the full article:  Small Changes, Big Impact

On a recent visit to Key West, it became evident to me why nature-inspired color schemes make sense.  Our emotions are effected by the landscape around us.  As I look at the brilliant turquoise blue-tones of the ocean, I am calmed.

I have always liked to decorate in shades of blue in my own home.  Since I consider my home…”my retreat”, these colors feel especially comfortable around me.  Whether it is purpley blues combined with the warm tones of a sunset or a bright sky blue with the silhouette of spring green buds… all are reminiscent of a calm, beautiful surrounding.

Couldn’t we all use a little more “calm” in our lives?  I know with a husband and three busy kids….I could!

Laura

I’ve been working on a fun, new project that I’d love to share with you:

My job as Senior Designer at by Design is best when I develop a close connection with my clients, and I really did this time.  A couple recently came into the store together and I was lucky enough to speak to them.  They were in the process of building a new home.  We talked and began to get to know each other.  (Much of design really is a conversation).  Both of them gave me valuable input, and I appreciate that so much.  From then on it was just Shelly & me.

Comfort and Style

Shelly has an active family of four (plus a dog) — and comfort and function are paramount.  Yet, sacrificing style was unacceptable.  In fact, Shelly had a strong sense of what look she wanted.  And what she wanted was the casual elegance of a Candice Olson design.  You know… the glitz, the glamor and the opulence that Candice uses for her TV show clients.  I understand.  We love Candice at by Design too.

The living room is the first room visitors see when they enter the house.  We wanted it to be a WOW experience and set the tone for the whole house.  The room also hosts the TV and fireplace making it the prime gathering place in the house.  Okay, we can do that.  Elegant… yet comfortable for TV and fireplace viewing.

Click on any of the images below, then page through them.

Cohesive Look

One great advantage I had was getting in on the building process early.  As a result, we were able to achieve a cohesive look by choosing the furnishings first and then the paint.  (I’d recommend this order for anyone working on a room project.  It is sooo much easier to match the paint perfectly to the fabric than vice-versa).  And we shared the excitement of discovering every perfect fabric, paint color, etc.

Shelly’s home has a lot of hard surfaces, so we created textural interest and added visual softness with the sectional fabrics, pillows & area rugs.  We also accented her neutral colors with spa blue to create a serene look  throughout the house.

The Bedroom

I love the living room, but I’m especially pleased with the master bedroom.  It became an inviting,  luxurious sanctuary — and certainly became my favorite spot in the house.

Here’s what I’ll remember from this great project:

• Shelly had a good sense of style that made her an easy and rewarding partner.
• A good relationship between designer and client is crucial
• Having fun is a must!

Thanks for reading!

Laura

celebrity design (without the high price)

From time to time some of our talented and valued designers and employees move on to other opportunities and other locations. We bid them farewell and best wishes!

Bright Bold color make this a fun sitting room.

Mike and Mary’s room is a fun work in progress.

• They wanted a great put-together feeling, but didn’t want the room to feel formal.
• They have two small children who will definitely be using the space.
• The living room and dining room adjoin, so the design needs to flow from one to the other.
• They owned artwork that needed to be designed into the space.
• The existing window coverings needed to remain.
• While not tiny, space is a real challenge: how do we make it livable?

(click on the first image, then mover through the images one by one)

I began this design with the floor plan.  If we could make the spaces work together and provide the multi-functionality Mike and Mary needed, all the other design elements should fall into place.  I showed them two furniture floor plans for the space.  I was excited when they chose the more out-of-the-box arrangement of the two.  There’s nothing better than working with clients who are willing to try new things.

The existing artwork provided color inspiration for the room.  Working with art, a rug, or something else that the client loves is a great way to give focus to the colors and the design.  With the art and floor plan in hand we chose bold, kid-friendly fabrics. We re-upholstered two existing chairs to great affect.  We also updated some family heirloom dining room chairs by selecting a complementing fabric for them.  We used two love seats to encourage conversation.  Colorful rugs brought all of the colors together, defined the spaces and unified the rooms.

We moved re-upholstered chair in front of the windows to frame and emphasize the view.  Although the existing window treatments needed to remain at present, the clients want to upgrade them in another phase.  This meant that we had to make all of our choices blend with the older coverings.  However, it gives us the opportunity to really make another impact when we do replace them.

Two of my favorite things about this room

I love the unexpected fabric on the traditional chairs.  They add a great wow factor.  I also love the fun, primary colors that still look so sophisticated and tailored.  As usual, fun clients make for a fun project!

Channing

Building on the clients art collection for inspiration, Channing creates a contemporary look with a twist.  This home is a work in progress!

Lynn and Dave knew they wanted to base the design of their living room on the colors of an abstract floral custom-painted for them by a local artist.  What a great way to inspire a room and focus the design!  Chief among their concerns was the extremely tall ceiling.  While dramatic, the height tended to dwarf the furniture.

Channing wanted to give them a new and different room, but also knew that working with their very open space and somewhat awkwardly placed pillars would be a challenge.  Lynn and Dave use the room for entertaining — there is no TV in the room.  It is also the first room visitors see upon entering the home, so it sets the stage for the whole home.

To address their height concerns they selected tall exaggerated-back chairs and continue to look for a few more over-sized pieces to bring the furnishings scale up.  Fabric color selections, chosen to get along with the existing draperies, were warmer than the past and added immediate comfort to the room.

The sofa was positioned a bit away from the center-line of the windows to take advantage of natural light and to attract the eye horizontally rather than vertically.

Channing says that the thing that she loves the most about this project was how well all of the fabrics ended up working together.  “Lynn loves fabrics and we worked hard and tried dozens of combinations.  We took a bit of a risk with the two-tone fabric on the chairs, and they worked wonderfully.”

A good collaboration between designer and client can produce a bit of magic.

You’re in for a treat if you visit the Des Moines Home Builders Home Show Expo 2009!  Denton Homes, by Design and numerous Denton Homes suppliers have teamed up to create a fabulous home (see it here).

We’re extremely proud of Victoria Nelson who lead a team of designers that worked incredibly hard to finish this project.  Denton Homes’ great execution of a wonderful floor plan combined with the furniture, fabric, accessories and color that by Design added were a winning combination.  And… we’re very excited to announce that this beautiful home has won :

JUST IN: coveted Peoples Choice Award! Chosen by the visitors.

2nd Place – Kitchen

1st Place – Home Theater, 1st Place – Secondary Room, 1st Place – Children’s Room, 1st Place – Master Bedroom, 1st Place – Curb Appea, 1st Place – Craftsmanship and finally… Best of Show!

• This 1 ½ story has a total of 6769 square feet of functional living space offering five bedrooms and four+ baths
• outdoor pool area complete with a grill, trampoline and cabana!
• The interior design marries a southern living and cottage revival to compliment the casual lifestyle of the homeowners.  “by Design” showcases their team of designers lead by Victoria J. Nelson.
• The great room on the main level is  open kitchen perfect for casual eating or for a more formal gathering.
• There is a pantry neatly nestled into the cherry cabinetry.
• The hearth room welcomes time for kicking back and relaxing,
• corner less NanaWall glass door which provides a panoramic view of the pool!
• The master suite boasts luxury with the barreled ceiling that connects the bedroom into the travertine tile bath area.
• In the lower level of the home  dance studio and exercise room.
• Adjacent to this is the theater and entertainment area with an amazing view of the vanishing edge pool with a waterfall above
• a dedicated wood shop with a dust collection system!
• Hickory hardwood flors, Cherry Cabinets and unbelievable trim

Here’s how this home is described on the Home Expo site:

A true southern classic.  This home is full of timeless details that are comfortable, relaxed, and elegant.

This 1 ½ story has a total of 6769 square feet of functional living space offering five bedrooms and four+ baths in this home…but be careful not to overlook the outdoor pool area complete with a grill, trampoline and cabana!… to read the rest of the description, visit the Home Expo site.

HomeShowExpo 2009 is the sixteenth year of this great show.  The 2009 show features six new custom built homes in Johnston Iowa. Each home is fully decorated and landscaped, each home has special features.

• See the craftsmanship and creativity offered by various builders.
• See exciting new products and materials for the home.
• Check out the creativity offered by the interior design community.
• The Home Idea Center hosts exhibitors showcasing everything from sun rooms to floor coverings.
• Cast your vote for the peoples choice awards.

You can learn more about Denton homes and the Des Moines Homebuilders at:

Denton Homes

Des Moines Homebuilders